A transceiver integrated circuit (IC) is an IC that can transmit and receive signals. A related transceiver IC 100 is shown in FIG. 1. As shown, the IC 100 has a separate transmit output 101 and a separate receive input 102. The input 102 and output 101 can be single-ended or differential. This input 102 and output 101 is normally connected to the circuitry outside the transceiver IC perimeter by means of bonding wires or other connections, such as Wafer Level Chip Scale Packaging (WLCSP) balls. For example, the transceiver IC 100 contains an on-chip LNA and an on-chip PA. Outside the IC perimeter, this input 102 and output 101 may be matched with a matching network 103, 104 to a specific impedance. In case of a differential input 102 or output 101, a so-called balun (balanced to unbalanced) converter 105, 106 is used to obtain a single-ended signal. In order to connect the matched input or matched output to the antenna 110, a switch 107 is used. This switch 107 is placed outside the perimeter of the IC 100 and is normally a pin-diode switch or a similar switching device. The switch 107 is controlled by the transceiver IC using a control line 108 that is connected to a specific pin of the IC. In between the switch 107 and the antenna 110, a frequency selective device (filter) 109 may be used to reduce the unwanted spurious and harmonics during transmit and to reduce the effect of unwanted blocking signals during receive.
Radio Frequency (RF) knowledge and skills are necessary to design a printed circuit board with the relevant matching networks, baluns, switch and frequency selective device.